Storage bin structure



1311.415, 1952 R. v MNH-"EWS4 2,582,641

STORAGE BIN STRUCTURE Fld Aug. 5, 1948 INVENToR.

' fe w TTOQNE Y 'weighing andv-gradingfoperations.r

Patented Jan. 15, 1952 2,582,641 "QS's-QRAGEBIN SiA y y",iv'la'thetvs; v'()ttumvifa Company, 1 Chicago;

AThis invention relates toapoltryhldlngpparatus and morepartijcnl'arlyito `r'neansuseful inthe steps of 'sortingfand fpaclaging, dressed poultry atjlargewpoultryf packing fuplants.

It `is arr' object of this invention 'Mtolfprovide improved means toffacilitate" fthe'y ilia'ndling fof dressed poultry products.k

l It is 'anotherLobject'of'thisfinvention to provid improved temporaryf storagef`means wherein dressed poultry'ffprodufct may-:beV stored Another; objectroff this yinv ers-,mulis KVtolfprnvide an limproved-r storage 'andidifainingbin structure. `Anotherjobject of this kinvention lisfto provide an improved-#form Aof i removable *storag'ef bin. fr

after the Another objectof this invention is to provide '3"' aplurality of storage compartments arranged in an approximate*,semi-:circlefaround a weighing and gradingsta'tion. A

Still another object ofif'this 4rlinverti-tion#sis'- to provide an improved storagefmeansffor .u-seiin*Y the weighingf-,andgrading;.of-pou1try products which xoccupies a minimum of space and has a large volume of storage capacity` Another object of 'this' invention is to a compactly arranged'storagemeans forus dur- Yingl the weighing'andY grading of'individu "try'carcasses-. i f

`Other objects lwill -appear from the "specification below.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the preferred form of the invention, showing the several sections in assembled position;

Figure 2 is a perspective end view of one of the sections of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective View of an individual pan structure adapted to be used in the structure of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional end elevation of a modiiied form of the invention; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of a pan adapted to be used in the structure shown in Figure 4.

Modern developments in the poultry industry have led to mass production methods, and this invention has been made to facilitate the weighing and grading operation which must be rapidly performed to render mass production methods practical. Each carcass must be graded as to a number of characteristics, such as the weight, the color, the finish, the configuration, etc., and in the ordinary grading scale for large operations, there may be more than 30 different classes set up. However, since the bulk of poultry products follows a :seasonal variation inweight, usually no more than 25 -orjso-gradesare used in -the-sorting process duringfany oneA season of ithe year.

' This inventionfi's *designed to speed up f this sorting or gradingfoperation and-makes'itpossible for onef'operator, skilled in `the'art of Agrading poultry, to keepup with 4theolcwv of product coming" from 4the dressing llines in lan ordinary plant.` The structure preferablysis'positioned in a `semicircl'e around-a weighing scale and provides a rack which' supports a pluralityof individual bins for'receivingr the-graded product.

'Ihebinsare constructedv so as to permit-the draining of `the'wash water from 'the carcasses 'while temporarily Jstoring'themA during Atl'iegra'jding operation, and as the binslbecomelledfthey are removed'jand carried tol'a packaging lstation, *whereupon an empty `bin iseput "itsjplace` The preferred form-oftheinvention is sshown VinFigures 1, 2;'and`3 wherein apluralitypfegmentallysha'p'ed racks are placedv-'fs'ide'lby side to form a1 semicircle 1- around the weighing vand jgra'dingstation-A.- TheirackfIIlf'takes/the'fformfof cooperatingihorizontalioarT I 2 ito position the-'bin in the rack. The bin is of a length to extend across the rack, and its opposite end bears on the horizontal bar I3 at what may be termed the back side of the rack structure. The bar I3 is disposed somewhat below the level of bar I2, and thus the floor I5 of the bin slopes downwardly. The floor of the bin is provided with suitable drain openings I6 at its lowermost end for drawing oi wash water from the poultry product. The bins also are formed with side walls I1, but the front and back ends' are open so that poultry carcasses may be quickly inserted into or withdrawn from the bin.

The rack structure has a drain system that cooperates with the drain openings I6 in the pans. For this purpose, gutters I8 are fixed to the back of the racks to collect the drippings and y convey them to suitable drain outlets I9..

this arrangement the grading station may be Y disposed at the center of the circle, and individual carcasses may be weighed and quickly graded as bin for classification,

to the various individual characteristics suggested above. As the product is graded, it is quickly tossed into the bin designated for the particular grades. Whenever an individual bin is loaded, the bin may be removed and carried to a suitable packaging table 2l, which is conveniently positioned at the back side of the rack structure Any conventional formof packing table may be used which is adapted to hold a wire-bound box and suitable lining paper rolls.

asaaii A modified form of this invention is shown in Y Figure 4 wherein the rack l0 may be made up of an angle iron structure. The-:rack is formed in the same segmental shape asthe rack shown in Figure 1 so that a plurality of the racks may be positioned side by side to occupy a semicir-A cular arrangement around a grading station.

In the form of the invention shown lin Figure 4, a modified bin structure is provided, as best .shown in Figure 5. This bin takes the form of aiioor 30, having stiiening edges 3| formed thereon and having a back wall 32 that has a lip 33 which overhangs a supporting bar 34 x'ed Vaeross'the back side of the rack l0. The floor 31B is also provided with an overhanging edge 35 at itsibaek end, which is positioned over the drain gutterf when the pan is positioned in the rack.

A suitable drain opening v3l is provided between the iioor 30 of the pan and the back wall 32, so

tl'iat carcasses stored' in the bin may drain properly while temporarily stored therein.

Y VThe storage bin structure shown in Figures 4 fand 5V' is designed to be used exactly like that described above in connection with the arrangement shown in Figure 1.

Y, As above described, either of these poultrygradingbins may be positioned around a scale soV that individual carcasses may `be rapidly weighed and graded for distribution to the proper All of the ,bins for the individual classes are disposed aboutl thesame distance away from the operator, so that a minimum veffort is required to deliver thef'graded product into its proper bin. `Also, d ue to the semicircular arrangement, a maximum storage 4 volume is provided when using segmentally shaped storage bins. The final packing operation is thus speeded up, as all of the product, in

4 any one bin, is all of the same size and grade. With this arrangement, a wire-bound box of proper size can be selected whereby more eiiicient packaging and use of shipping facilities can be made.

The above description covers the preferred formvof' this invention.VV -Modiflcations will occur to those skilled in the art,l all vof which fall within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

A storage bin structure for use in conjunction with a poultry weighing and grading station comprising an arcuateframe and a plurality of bins therefor; said frame comprising a plurality of segmental sections each composed of a plurality of vertical side and horizontal front and back rails, 'each' of said front rails being shorter than the back rails, each of said front rails being mounted at a greater elevation than the correspondingback rail, an arcuate gutter positioned on said franeimmediately below and behind 'each of said back rails; each of said bins comprising a segmentally-shaped pan open at the front, top,

and back thereof, vstop means positioned at .the

MJIaERENCEsv CITED The following references Vare of record in the le of this: patent:

Y Y UNTTED'STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Y V898,318 Thomas et al Dec. 26, 1905 1,1118537 shunsin v Feb. 27, 1912 l 2,108,122V a Hau Y Feb. 15, 193s 2,119,640 Lundell r June 7, 1938 2,362,532v Bilek r Nov..14, 1944 

